NSA Contractor Arrested for Possible Theft of Top Secret Hacking Code

The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that the FBI secretly arrested an NSA contractor in late August. The agency is investigating whether he stole and disclosed highly classified computer lawmaking developed to hack into the networks of foreign governments.

Would this be a new Snowden saga? Probably not. This doesn't announced to be a whistleblower example equally the contractor was accused of stealing "holding of the United States," that included "6 classified documents obtained from sensitive intelligence and produced by a regime bureau in 2022." Before in the yr when the bureau demanded Apple tree to create a backdoor in its ain software, this is ane of the repercussions that security experts had talked out. How will the government agencies protect their ain secrets of hacking into user devices and highly sophisticated networks, not only from their own contractors but too from other hacking groups and threat actors.

NSA contractor accused of stealing code to hack into the networks of foreign governments

The accused, Harold T. Martin Three, worked for Booz Allen Hamilton for the National Security Bureau (NSA). Resident of Maryland with a summit hugger-mugger national security clearance was arrested late August, DoJ confirmed. The complaint that was unsealed today says that a search of his habitation and car found "property of the United States."

Martin's employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, is responsible for operating many of the agency'south sensitive cyber operations. The firm, who was likewise the employer of Snowden, released the following statement after the declaration today:

When Booz Allen learned of the arrest of one of its employees past the FBI, we immediately reached out to the regime to offer our full cooperation in their investigation, and we fired the employee.

We continue to cooperate fully with the regime on its investigation into this serious thing. Booz Allen is a 102-year-old company, and the declared comport does non reflect our cadre values. Our employees continue to back up critical client missions with dedication and excellence each solar day. Their professionalism, values and ethics are what define our firm.

Unlike Edward Snowden who stole a large quantity of classified documents, Martin is suspected "of taking the highly classified computer code adult by the bureau to break into reckoner systems of adversaries like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea."Martin'south lawyer said that "Hal Martin loves his family and his country. There is no evidence that he intended to betray his country."

Latest theft raises questions as nonetheless another insider has managed to steal highly sensitive information from the agency, even though information technology was suggested that the agency has employed farther restrictions afterward Snowden leaks. Snowden had passed his stolen documents to journalists, exposing the mass surveillance programs that the NSA had employed. Known as the biggest intelligence breach in recent US history, Snowden had said he exposed the documents equally the programs violated the privacy of American citizens.

Even so, the agency said Martin did not fit the usual profiles of an "insider threat," and it is unclear if he had political motives. The NYTimes writes "the official said that investigators think Mr. Martin is not politically motivated - 'not similar a Snowden or someone who believes that what we were doing was illegal and wanted to publicize that'."

Since the Snowden disclosures, NSA has spent millions of dollars to repair the damages to its public image and credibility. The agency was forced to be more open up to public and gear up its security problems. The latest blow would evidence to be devastating as it's the second fourth dimension in the last three years that an insider has managed to have elevation hugger-mugger information.